Napster battle heats up

The attorney whom many believe most responsible for the possible breakup of Microsoft has joined the Napster team, under attack by the Recording Industry. A new study, funded by Web-affiliated organizations, contradicted one the music industry uses to support its claim that Napster hurts CD sales. Napster, itself, has begun promoting a program aimed at exposing unsigned artists to the public, a move the RIAA claims is a distraction from the company's true purpose - the pirating of record labels' property. Meanwhile, Courtney Love spoke ardently at a Web entertainment industry conference, calling the record companies the real pirates while simultaneously defending Metallica.

To read about the lawyer who wants to save Napster, go to www.theregister.co.uk. For more information about the study defending Napster's effects on music sales, check out zdnn.com. To read a transcript of Courtney Love's speech to the Digital Hollywood online entertainment conference, click to www.salon.com.